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New History in an Old House
In 1668, 24-year-old John Turner purchased a tract of land on Salem Harbor and built a house there. Although it was only a fraction of its future size, the house in its earliest manifestation was large by the standard of the time and place, divided into two rooms on the first floor and two corresponding rooms above. One of these original second-floor rooms (or “chambers,” in seventeenth-century parlance) as well as a significant portion of the other has never been open to the public in the nearly 350-year history of the house. We are about to change that.
Our Secret Rooms Project is an effort to restore these hidden spaces, interpret them (a project in and of itself, with three and a half centuries to choose from), and integrate them into our regular house tour. We are doing this b ecause we want our community and our guests to see more of this historical treasure and learn more of its stories.
The Gables is immensely grateful for the support we’ve received so far, but to succeed in our efforts, we need your help. We are still about $80,000 shy of our goal of $200,000. You can still help us by contributing to our on-going Secret Rooms Project crowdfunding campaign, and by spreading the word and asking others to get involved.
Whether it’s $7 or $700, your valued contribution will help us share more of The House of the Seven Gables’ history with Salem and with the world. |
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Celebrating A Vision
The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is spending 2016 celebrating the 150 th birthday of its founder, Caroline Emmerton. In 1910, she restored The Gables and used the proceeds from admission to fund social work programs in Salem. We still abide by this mission today and are thrilled to celebrate her vision, life, and legacy.
Throughout the season, our visitors can enjoy a special lecture series, enrichment events, and even our new exhibit, Caroline Emmerton: An Unbounded Vision, which opens on April 8. The party truly gets going with our bash on April 23, Caroline’s Community: A Celebration for All. The House of the Seven Gables will be open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Guided house tours will cost $1.50 (first come, first served). Throughout the day, entertainment will be offered from the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers to the Carubia Brass Band.
Families can enjoy making and delivering birthday cards to Caroline Emmerton as well as our Living History Labs. In 2016, these will have special focus on classes that were popular during the settlement movement of Emmerton’s time. Ferreira Foods will be on hand with a pop-up picnic tent so you can enjoy an easy lunch on our seaside lawn. Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie will be offering up samples of candies that could have been enjoyed by Caroline Emmerton. We’ll also be cutting cake through the day, so save room for sweet treats!
Caroline’s Community will be a rain or shine event. In the case of inclement weather, all festivities will take place around our National Historic Landmark District Museum Campus.
Click the link for a full list of our Celebrating A Vision events. |
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April Vacation Living History Lab
In our Living History Lab at The House of the Seven Gables guests can play both scientist and historian by getting their hands and minds on some fun and engaging experiences from the past.
In 1915, Caroline Emmerton’s Settlement House served the immigrant families living in the neighborhood of the museum. The children often attended classes that taught household and industrial skills like cooking, woodworking, sewing and gardening. They and other family members also joined theatrical and musical clubs offered through Emmerton’s charity.
Come join us between April 16 – 24 where our ‘lab experiments’ will feature hands-on activities based off these Settlement House programs offered in the early 20th century. You might practice your sewing, work on your paper folding skills or play 1915 games. Our activity will change daily and be available between 11:00 a.m - 2:00 p.m.
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Photo of the Month #H7G
Use the hashtag #H7G and we might select your image as our Photo of the Month.
Photo courtesy of Chandra Lothian
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The Gables Receives Grant Funding From Mass Humanities
The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is thrilled to announce that it will be a 2016 recipient of an Engaging New Audiences grant from Mass Humanities. The Gables will receive $10,000 to better engage the community we serve through our Settlement programming on the North Shore.
Caroline Emmerton preserved the 1668 Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, using the legacy of Nathaniel Hawthorne's literary classic to raise funds that supported historic preservation and a Settlement House for the newly arrived immigrants in the Derby Street neighborhood. Though the role of the current Settlement programming serves a different neighborhood and immigrant population today, the dual mission of preservation and education remains intact.
Funding from Mass Humanities will help The Gables promote and share our slate of public and educational programming to the diverse audiences that we serve. All 2016 programming will focus on the history of Caroline Emmerton and her role as a social entrepreneur who brought about community change and solidarity over the decades that she devoted her life to The Gables and the community. Thoughtful and candid discussion about education, preservation, immigration, and literary history will be encouraged at all events. Funding will also allow The Gables to translate program information and listings as well as our exhibit Caroline Emmerton: An Unbounded Vision, into Spanish.
The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association looks forward to this important partnership in the coming year and is grateful for the support from Mass Humanities. |
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Gifts at The Gables
This fashionable collection inspired by Salem author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, includes earrings, brooch, and a pendant on chain.
Each piece is set with a cabochon crystal and makes an elegant accessory to be worn with confidence and individuality.
Available for purchase at The House of the Seven Gables Museum Store. Can't make it to our Museum Store? Contact Everett Philbrook, Store Manager at 978-744-0991 x 195 or ephilbrook@7gables.org, and we can have this item shipped to you.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Be part of one of New England’s premier historic sites and gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience in history, literature, museum studies and functions.
When you volunteer at The House of the Seven Gables, we work to match your skills, interests and availability with our needs. There are many volunteer opportunities at our organization, including docent, museum store, costuming… just to mention a few. If you're interested in volunteering, please fill out an application and let us know where you would like to volunteer. When you become a volunteer you receive a free individual membership as well as 20% off in our Museum Store.
To view a list of available volunteer opportunities at The House of the Seven Gables,please visit www.7gables.org/about/careers-volunteers/
For more information or to apply for a career/volunteer opportunity, please contact Melissa Reynolds, Human Resources Manager, at 978-744-0991 ext. 111, or mreynolds@7gables.org
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